Totarol belongs to the terpenoid family of natural products. The primary source of totarol is the Podocarp tree (Podocarpus totara), native to New Zealand. Totarol can be extracted from the heartwood of decayed Podocarp trees.
Totarol is known to be an antibacterial agent with potent effects on Gram-positive organisms, including S. mutans, B. subtilis, S. aureus and P. acnes. See Kubo I, et al. J Nat Prod 55:1436-1440 (1992). The topical use of totarol as an antibacterial agent is described in Japanese Patent No. 2,700,071 B2.
Antioxidant effects of totarol have also been described using in vitro systems. These include inhibition of linoleic acid oxidation and suppression of lipid peroxidation in mitochondria and microsomes. See Haraguchi H, et al. Planta Medica 63:213-215 (1997).
Applicants have surprisingly found that totarol is also effective as a topical anti-inflammatory agent.